The Rochester Lancers (0-2) will induct the first members of their Wall of Fame during pre-game ceremonies at Saturday’s 7 p.m. game at Blue Cross Arena against Syracuse (3-0). The honorees are: Pat Dinolfo, Tony Pullano, Nuri Sabuncu, Charles Schiano, Claude “The Cat” Campos, Sal DeRosa, Pat Ercoli, Francisco Escos, Carlos Metidieri, Frank Odoi, Dragan “Don” Popovic, Branko Segota, Joe Sirianni and Mike Stojanovic. Are you too young to remember the Lancers of the NASL? If so, here’s a bit of a history lesson courtesy of former D&C soccer writer, Michael Lewis, who you can read at www.BigApplesoccer.com and at www.tropigol.com

Thirty years after they played their last game, the Rochester Lancers still have a special meaning to many soccer fans. For them, it was about the blood, sweat and tears by an ownership group that was steadfast in keeping the team alive, players who bled Lancers blue and gold and fans who were among the most passionate and sophisticated in the country. Sparked by the interest generated by the 1966 World Cup final between England and Germany, soccer fever swept through America and a group of Rochester businessmen, including Charlie Schiano and the late Pat DiNolfo, decided to invest in the sport.

The Lancers — they were named after co-team owner Charlie Schiano’s college team — the University of Windsor Lancers — played their first game — a 5-2 loss to Sports Club Concordia of Hamburg (West Germany) in front of 5,152 curious souls at Holleder (then Aquinas) Stadium. Promoter Peter Dewald of Detroit wanted to end the game 15 minutes prematurely to get the German team on the plane for another game in Detroit. “If you do that, then the Lancers won’t let you get out of this place alive,” Schiano told Dewald. Like it or not, the Lancers starting a habit they count not break that season — replacing coaches as fast as some people change underwear. The Lancers went through five coaches in 1967, two in 1968 and another four in 1969. They had 20 in their 14-year history. Despite the constant turnover at the top, the Lancers turned out to be the class of the American Soccer League along with the Washington Darts. In fact, they were so impressive that they were invited to join the ailing North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1970 season. It was during 1970 that Rochester reached its greatest height. The team thrived after coach Sal DeRosa took over in the second of his three tenures at mid-season, securing their only league championship. In that season, the NASL title was decided by total goals series. After rolling to a 3-0 victory over the Darts in the first leg at Holleder, the Lancers survived an onslaught atWashington, 3-1, to bring the trophy home to western New York.

They were even better in 1971, but lost in the finals. However, they drew first blood in one of the most amazing soccer games to be played on American soil. The Lancers and Dallas Tornado — the eventual champions — played an unheard of 176-minute marathon before Carlos Metidieri, who was on his way to a second consecutive scoring title, mercifully ended everyone’s suffering by scoring a minute to midnight for a 2-1 Rochester win. While they were not champions, the Lancers continued to break new ground in 1972, becoming the first U.S.team in a CONCACAF club competition in Guatemala. They finished fourth (2-2-1) out of six teams. The team hit a lean stretch in 1973 as local businessman John Petrossi became a co-owner to help keep the team afloat. Petrossi became hands on, firing Bill Hughes and coaching in what turned into a 7-1 debacle of a loss to the Boston Minutemen in 1974. It got so bad in 1975 that long-time team captain and all-star defender Charlie Mitchell demanded to be traded after the season. 1976 turned out to be some new life for the team as no-nonsense Don Popovic took over the reins on what would be a record-breaking four-year tenure, a club record. Popovic, with Mike Stojanovic filling the net and rookie Jim Pollihan and veterans Nick Mijatovic anchoring the backline, guided the Lancers to back–to-back playoff appearances in 1976 and 1977.

Lancermania was born in 1977 as the team caught fire late in the season, defeating the St. Louis Stars and the Toronto Metros-Croatia, the latter in an incredible home-and-home series that saw Rochester scoring the winning goal in Toronto despite playing two men down at the time. That set up a memorable series with the favored Cosmos. A record 20,005 fans jammed Holleder — Operation Squeeze In — as the Lancers lost, 2-1. The Cosmos and Pele prevailed in front of almost 74,000 fans at Giants Stadium, to reach Soccer Bowl. The Lancers encountered more lean times, barely missing the playoffs in 1978 and 1979, although the latter season saw Shep Messing guarding the nets and emergence of a star — Branko Segota. With a new coach, Ray Klivecka, 1980 was a season from hell as an ownership feud between theRochesterfaction (DiNolfo, Nuri Sabuncu and Schiano) and the, New York faction (John Luciano and Bernie Rodin) stole the show. Klivecka was fired by the Rochester faction and Alex Perolli, the team’s first NASL coach, was brought in. The Lancers finished at 12-20 and went to the great soccer league in the sky after that season. They might have been gone from the playing field, but not forgotten in the hearts of Rochester soccer fans.

USL INDUCTS SINCLAIR: Western New York Flash forward Christine Sinclair, the top scorer for last year’s WPS champions, is among the inductees to the USL Hall of Fame. That list also includes Milwaukee Wave coach Keith Tozer and former indoor scoring legend, Tatu. For the full list, click here.

FLASH ADD DEFENDER: Speaking of the Flash, they signed a defender on Wednesday, adding Manya Makoski, 27, who spent last year with a club named Thor in Iceland. A native of Connecticut and former star at Arizona State, she was a key player for the Los Angeles Sol in 2009, the WPS inaugural season in which they were league runner-up. “She is a versatile player who has experience internationally as well as in the WPS and Europe, and is excited about her return to the WPS,” Flash coach Aaran Lines said in a statement provided by the club. Click here for more.

WNY DONATES 13K: Remember Project Pink? It was the Flash’s breast cancer awareness fund-raiser at their regular-season finale at home. They raised $13,000 for the Susan G. Komen. Well done!

The replay of Saturday’s Rochester Lancers home opener, a 13-4 loss to the Missouri Comets, will be on Time Warner Channel 26 today at 4 p.m. Rochester plays its next home match at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial against the surprising Syracuse Silver Knights, an expansion team like Rochester that is off to a 3-0 start. Syracuse beat Rochester 16-15 in its home opener on Nov. 4 on a goal in the last minute. The Knights are coached by former Rhinos team captain, Syracuse native Tommy Tanner. Ex-Rhino, Jonny Steele, has missed the first three matches injured and isn’t expected back for at least another week and a half.

Sure, the home crowd wanted more goals from the Rochester Lancers in Saturday’s 13-4 home-opening loss to the Missouri Comets, a classy team that showed patience and skill and smarts in building and holding a lead. Warning, though: That patient style probably isn’t the best thing to build the MISL brand and attract and keep fans. Fans want shots and goals and pinball-like rebounds or cannon-balled free kicks at goalkeepers, not possession-based soccer. And Rochester fans should see that next Saturday night when coach Tommy Tanner’s expansion Syracuse Silver Knights, who are suddenly 3-0 after building a 14-0 lead in a shocking 18-7 win at Baltimore on Saturday night, come to Blue Cross Arena. But the fans at the arena Saturday afternoon, while disappointed with the final score, had to have enjoyed the atmosphere and later on tell others about Mauricio Salles’ acrobatic, bicycle kick goal. It sure was something to see. We watch sports because we never know what’s going to happen, what we might see next. It just may be something we’ve never seen before. And that’s exactly what Salles gave us.

I’d seen the big Brazilian try similar bikes when he played for the Rhinos from 2008-09. Sometimes he whiffed. Sometimes he connected, but never struck the ball with such force. On Saturday, it all came together. It was a fastball being launched into the upper deck. A golf ball springing off the sweet spot of a driver, pure and rising down the center of the fairway. It was a slapshot being ripped with such velocity that the puck becomes a blur. And Salles’ goal took athleticism, imagination, timing and skill. It sure was something to see. He gave us something to talk about, something we told others about and maybe that will bring fans back and help lure new ones. I sent a copy of the clip, which you above, to a friend who works at ESPN. Who knows. Maybe you’ll see it on SportsCenter.

REFRESHING: I’ve dealt with enough pro egos in my day that it’s appreciated to be thanked by athletes for my time. That was the case yesterday when I approached Comets goalkeeper Danny Waltman, an eighth-year pro who you can tell loves his job despite the perils of 100 mph shots coming at his head. Even before I asked him a question, he thanked me just for being there. “We need you. This league needs the press,” he said. “So thanks for showing up.” And then I asked him about the game and Salles’ goal and he told me to advise fans to be patient, that there’s a three-year learning curve for young indoor players. He said he liked the fight he saw in the Lancers, and that he thinks they’ll get better.

SURPRISING SYRACUSE: A day before the Silver Knights’ season opener against the Lancers, Syracuse coach and ex-Rhino Tommy Tanner expressed concern about just how good his expansion club would be. Now, after two wins this weekend, they’ll bring a 3-0 mark into Rochester next Saturday. Here’s a writeup about their win on Saturday in Baltimore against the reigning MISL champions. Cuse led – get this – 14-0!

The Missouri Comets gave the young Rochester Lancers another lesson in learning today, topping the MISL expansion team 13-4 in front of a crowd of 6,528 fans at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial at the Lancers’ home opener. Missouri, a veteran group that improved to 3-0, took leads of 4-0 and 7-2. Mauricio Salles acrobatic bicycle kick early in the second half cut the lead to 7-4 for the Lancers, but that was it. They never scored again and were out-shot, 29-28, to fall to 0-2.

“I am very disappointed and I think everyone is. I’ve been telling (my teammates), ‘It’s Rochester. Rochester always wins. We like to win. That’s why I’m here,” said Salles, who played in 2008-09 for the Rhinos. “But it’s not going to come easy.” Ryan Junge led Missouri with five points, including a pivotal 3-point shot just 55 seconds into the second half that gave the Comets a 7-2 lead. Goalkeeper Danny Waltman (18 saves) also made a couple of key stops, including a diving deflection on Lubo Kocic’s 12-yard shot with 46 seconds left in the first half off a pass from Doug Miller that would have tied it.

“We knew we couldn’t press them. They’re experienced that if we pressed them, with their defenders and goalkeeper, they would expose us and get an odd-man breakaway,” Lancers coach Billy Andracki said. “We had it 4-2 and to give up a 3-pointer, that killed us.”

Andracki gave Neal Kitson, 25, who has played for the Rochester Rhinos the past two years and is on loan to the Lancers, his first professional indoor start and Kitson looked sharp early. He made a diving save on one shot and crawled, scrambling in the box to poke a ball away from Byron Alvarez, last year’s MVP of the MISL. But Missouri, which scored 30 points in two wins last weekend, took a 2-0 lead on with 1:06 left in the first period on Vahid Assadpour’s shot that deflected off Lancers defender Elliot Fauske and in. Assadpour had two goals. Leo Gibson had a goal and two assists and Alvarez two assists.

The Comets made it 4-0 just 4½ minutes into the second period on Jurge’s first goal. The Lancers nearly broke the ice on a two-on-one break by Nelson Becerra and Andrew Hoxie, but Waltman poked the ball away from Hoxie.

Jeremy Ortiz didn’t let that happen, though. The New Jersey native went coast to coast on a quick counterattack. With defender Brian Harris in heavy pursuit and Waltman coming out at him, Ortiz let fly with a 14-yard shot that made it 4-2 with 8:08 left in the half. A 25-year-old who is on the United States Futsal team, Ortiz was signed just this week. Rochester had a good look to tie it late in the half on its first power-play. Miller’s pass found Kocic near the top of the circle. He turned and struck a good shot, but Waltman made a good diving save.

Junge’s high 3-point blast from the top of the circle just 55 seconds into the third period made it 7-2. Kitson (14 saves) admitted the shot surprised him. “It’s an indoor soccer game. You can’t be surprised. As a goalkeeper you’ve got to be ready at all times,” Andracki said. “We didn’t create a lot of chances but when we did, their goalkeeper came up big.”

About 90 seconds later, Salles scored his highlight reel goal. With a defender draped on his back about 10 yards outs, he flipped the ball into the air and converted on a bicycle kick that he ripped past Waltman. “I’ve seen some sick bikes in my day and that one’s right up there,” said Waltman, 30, a former teammate of Salles with the Detroit Ignition. “That ball was coming out of the net before I could even turn around.”

Missouri, however, took its time on the attack, holding the ball up and scored a pivotal goal with just 21 seconds left in the period, as Assadpour slipped a close-range shot past Kitson. After that, just 46 seconds into the fourth, Gibson cashed in on a rebound in front for an 11-4 cushion and Andracki replaced Kitson with Brazilian Leo Tillemont.

Here’s a link to today’s preview story on the Rochester Lancers’ home opener at 1 p.m. today at Blue Cross Arena. One very notable thing I mention in there is that the new Major Indoor Soccer League is a product of owners in soccer being smart – and much different than the way the USL and NASL handled themselves the past few years in the outdoor game. Had the MISL’s old stalwarts such as the Baltimore Blast and Milwaukee Wave NOT merged with the USL’s new I-League, which included the Lancers, Syracuse and Norfolk, we’d have two bad indoor leagues instead what we really have now, which is the best indoor league in America. So kudos to all who helped make that happen, including a few former Rhinos and indoor stars (NPSL) such as Tommy Tanner, Syracuse’s new head coach, and Lancers forward Doug Miller. They actually picked up the phone and talked to some influential MISL people and said, Let’s get this right the first time. Let’s merge.

TODAY ON KICK THIS! I will be live at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial and hope to get interviews with coach Billy Andracki and some players as they enter the building. We’ll also talk with USL Senior Director and former Rhinos GM/owner Chris Economides. Re-launching indoor soccer in America is sort of his baby, folks. I also plan to interview Michael Lewis, the former Rochester Lancers (NASL) beat writer for the Democrat and Chronicle from 1975-80 who now covers soccer for the NY Daily News and www.BigAppleSoccer.com. Check out his nostalgic column today on returning to Rochester and his days of covering the Lancers. Listen live at www.whtk.com or locally on AM 1280 and FM 107.3. Our archive, if you want to hear the show later in the weekend or beyond that.

SYRACUSE SINKS SHARX: Wow, what a great second half by the Syracuse Silver Knights on Friday in Norfolk, where they pulled away for an impressive 23-7 win. Read more about it here. About 2,300 in the stands for that one. While you’re at the USL site, check out this Lancers-Comets preview for today’s match. Too bad Norfolk wasn’t today’s opponent, huh?

LINEUP CHANGES: After going with Brazilian goalie Leo Tillemont in last weekend’s 16-15 season-opening loss at Syracuse, look for Lancers coach Billy Andracki to give Neal Kitson his first start today. Kitson, like Tillemont, is new to the indoor game and his coming off a solid season for the Rhinos.

I don’t know how many times the Rochester Lancers, an MISL expansion team whose learning curve about the indoor game needs to be swift, will win this season. In Saturday’s 1 p.m. home opener they’re playing a 2-0 Missouri Comets team that scored 16 and 14 points in two wins last weekend, so Rochester is not the favorite tomorrow. But I CAN guarantee this: Watching their games at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial will be exciting. How can I make that claim? Just look at the shot totals from their 16-15, last-minute loss last Friday night in Syracuse. The Silver Knights took 36 shots (27 on goal); the Lancers took 27 shots (21 on goal). SIXTY-THREE shots in soccer? It’d take a half-dozen outdoor/Rhinos matches to see that many. Remember the 2009 Rhinos season, when they played SEVEN scoreless draws at home? Yeah, mind-numbingly boring soccer (thankfully coach Bob Lilley’s teams in 2010-11 were much better). Well, there will never be a Lancers season that is THAT dull. But that’s also because the indoor game is suited to a fast pace with outlet passes that lead to fastbreaks, or laser-like shots off the boards that can pinball in front for goals.

And after watching my first MISL matches last weekend, I can tell you it really can be back-and-forth, end-to-end action with a furious pace. Moreover, I’ve seen the looks on enough Lancers players’ faces and coach Billy Andracki to know some of the shots ripped in at goalies, well, let’s just say there is fear in their eyes. No one wants to get in front of that red-and-white ringed ball.

None of that, of course, means the Lancers will be a contender. It just means games should be entertaining, and we’ll find out more on Saturday just what will happen when a Lancer scores a goal (flashing lights? sirens? souvenirs thrown to fans? players jumping on the dasherboards?). What types of crowds will the Lancers draw? I don’t know. I like their marketing strategies, so far, and tickets ($10 or $15, kids 12-and-under free*) are good deals, especially if you pick up a $3 discount voucher at any Wegmans store. I think if they can get people in the building and exposed to the product, they will draw good crowds. But that’s the trick: Exposing the newbies and getting them to come back after having a good time.

MILLER STORY: Here’s the link to my feature today on Lancers forward, Doug Miller. He isn’t as fast as he used to be and he’ll need his teammates to learn quickly about the indoor game on how to set him up and vice-versa, but I think he can be successful because a lot of scoring in indoor is being in the right place at the right time on rebounds in front – the 42-year-old made a career of that with the Rhinos – and shooting quickly. But, he must stay healthy. As a 42-year-old myself – I’m literally two days younger than Miller – it’s not as easy to recover from injures, so picking one up could put him on the shelf longer than younger guys. Yes, the Lancers signed him to try to sell tickets. Why wouldn’t that? (smart business) But I also know Andracki and Soccer Sam Fantauzzo think Miller can score goals. His leadership alone and teaching young guys the game and how to be pros already has helped.

HURRY UP! I will be learning strategy and rules about the MISL, just as Lancers players will, this season and after talking to a couple this week one thing they learned after one match: You better not whine or pout, even for a second, if you lose the ball. It’s hustle back on defense ASAP or you’re giving your opponent a fast-break opportunity. Midfielder Nelson Becerra was saying how in outdoor soccer if you lose the ball or your team does, you don’t have always have to sprint back immediately. There are other players to cover for you usually or there is time to hustle and catch up. In indoor, there is no time.

MLS EXPANSION: Sigh. MLS commish Don Garber gave his State of the MLS Speech on Thursday and named Detroit and Las Vegas as possible expansion candidates beyond the 19 squads the league will have starting next season with the addition of Montreal. He also reiterated the league’s desire (why?) to have a second franchise in the NYC area and revealed more frustration over D.C. United’s bad lease at RFK Stadium. If there is no solution, of course, Garber said it’s possible D.C. could relocate. Yeah, I know, don’t even go down that road with Rochester, right? Here’s a link to USA Today’s story.

COMING FRIDAY: What does it take to get a 42-year-old back into pro playing shape? Find out in my feature on Rochester Lancers forward, Doug Miller, the former Rhinos star and A-League MVP making his second comeback. The first, back in 2003, went great. He led the Rhinos in goals that year with 17. Look for my story in Friday’s editions.

TONIGHT: The “Lancers Dancers” will be guest-bartending at Easy on East, right across from Channel 10 on East Ave., from 9 to midnight. Some players also might join them. On Wednesday, The Distillery on Mt. Hope Ave. in Rochester was the site for a “Meet & Greet” with players and dancers. It’s smart business to get your product out in the community. In addition to winning on the field, one thing the Rhinos of the late 1990s had were guys who embraced getting out in the community, meeting fans casually, showing them their personality to make new fans.

WPS UPDATE: New league CEO Jennifer O’Sullivan’s tour of WPS markets stopped in Buffalo Monday at the Flash’s facility in Elma. Here’s a piece in the Buffalo News about it. Not much real news there. I covered much of that in my season-ending story last summer. It’s good to see WPS not rushing expansion. It will play with five teams, if it needs to, in 2012, coach Aaran Lines told me this morning. Obviously, rushing magicJack didn’t turn out well, did it? A new Hartford, Conn., franchise is more likely for 2013 than 2012. Reps from that club were at the WPS Championship back in August. I will share my thoughts soon on whether I think Abby Wambach coming to the Flash as a free agent is a smart move, on and off the field. You may be surprised.

DICICCO IN TOWN: Former U.S. women’s national team coach, ESPN analyst and Boston Breakers coach Tony DiCicco will be speaking at this weekend’s NYSWYSA Coaches’ Symposium on Friday and Saturday at the Doug Miller Family Sports Park in Spencerport. He’ll give a lecture 8 p.m. Friday and on Saturday he’ll conduct sessions at 10:15 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. NYSWYSA Director of Coaching Education and WNY Flash coach Aaran Lines also will be featured speakers at events. For more information, go to www.nyswysa.org.

The Rochester Lancers (0-1), who play their home opener 1 p.m. Saturday at Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial against the Missouri Comets (2-0), will celebrate the start of the season with an appearance from 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday at The Distillery, 1142 Mt. Hope Ave. The Lancers lost their season opener, 16-15, at Syracuse last Friday on a goal with 39 seconds left. For more information, visit www.RochesterLancers.com.

COMETS SOARING: The Comets are coming off a pair of games at the Wichita Wings: 16-14 in overtime on Thursday and a 14-4 shellacking on Friday. Geison, a forward who had five goals on Thursday and a goal and assist on Friday, was named MISL Player of the Week today. Lancers midfielder Lubo Kocic, who had four goals in his MISL debut, was also a candidate for the award.

WPS FREE AGENCY: Reports are that WPS free agency starts on Wednesday and the hottest commodity out there will be Mary Abigail Wambach. Will she come to the WNY Flash? I don’t know. I do know that with Alex Morgan and Christine Sinclair under contract, I can’t see Wambach coming to Rochester with both of them here. Then again, I’ve been wrong before. If the Flash were to take a run at Abby, it’d mean – I think – they’re out of the market to bring Marta back. I’ll pass along any information as I get it.

Other work assignments kept me away from Syracuse on Friday night, and I missed a thrilling MISL opener between the Rochester Lancers and Syracuse Silver Knight, a pair of expansion teams. I watched much of the first half on www.MISLlive.com and both clubs looked a little rough around the edges, as expected, but you could see the learning curve straighten out during the match. And what a finish for the home fans – about 3,700 strong – at the OnCenter in Syracuse. Jeff Hughes’ goal with 39 seconds left was the winner and the Syracuse Post-Standard’s Lindsay Kramer reports that the fans were into the match the whole night. Rochester had taken a 15-12 lead into the fourth quarter after trailing 10-9 at halftime and 8-2 early when things looked shaky. Syracuse won, 16-15.

But after a timeout, Lubo Kocic single-handedly brought the Lancers back, scoring three straight goals, including a 3-pointer for a 9-8 lead. Doug Miller and Mauricio Salles each added a goal along with Buffalo native and former Medaille College standout, Gary Boughton. “I’m extremely proud of the guys and the way they played,” said Lancers coach Billy Andracki. “We fell behind early but we battled back and I thought we were the better team tonight. We made a few mistakes that they capitalized on, but we’ll work on that.”

There also was some jawing between some players late in the match, at least, and should carry over to make this a good regional rivalry. As a soccer town, Syracuse is pretty sorry (I know, I grew up near there), so maybe this win and the fashion in which the Knights pulled it off will help that franchise more than if the Lancers held on. Either way, it sounds like it was just what the MISL folks hoped for – back-and-forth excitement – when they dreamed up bringing the MISL to our neck of the woods.

We’ll be talking all about the match on KICK THIS! today at 11 a.m. on WHTK-AM/FM and have player and coach interviews. Hope you can join us. We’re live on the Internet at www.whtk.com. To hear a replay later in the weekend, it’s www.kickthis.com.

Let’s get right to it. Indoor soccer isn’t soccer. It’s different. It’s more like a hybrid of hockey, indoor lacrosse and soccer. It moves way too fast and features way too many shots and goals to be called soccer. In fact, soccer purists hate the indoor game. They think their “beautiful game,” the outdoor game, is better. But I predict that if enough of our area’s non-purist fans (read: casual) give the Rochester Lancers and the MISL a chance, they’re not just going to like it, they’ll love it. Three-point shots. Penalties and power-plays. Physical play to gain position. Outlet passes by goalkeepers that lead to breakaways. Pinball-like rebounds that’ll keep the heads of fans and goalies on a swivel. And plenty of music, lights, glitz and celebrating after goals. (Sounds like old Rhinos matches at small-pitched Frontier Field, doesn’t it?)

The Lancers open their MISL season tonight at Syracuse (here’s my preview), which is coached by former Rhinos captain Tommy Tanner, a Syracuse native and former indoor star with NPSL champion Cleveland Crunch teams. Rochester’s home opener is next Saturday, Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. at Blue Cross Arena against the Missouri Comets, which opened the MISL season with a 16-14 win last night at the Wichita Wings in front of 4,695 fans. Kids 12-and-under get in for free at all Lancers matches, which is certainly a great incentive for fans (1 adult ticket per 3 kids).

Are you ready? I am – I think. You see, although I’ve covered pro soccer in Rochester since 1996, I’ve seen maybe two indoor games in my life. Like you, I’ll be familiarizing myself with strategy and rules and these new Lancers players. Of course, the team has some familiar names, too, including Doug Miller. The former Rhinos star is 42 years old, but he looks like he’s in great shape and from every report I’ve gotten is still quick and can score because of that and his savvy knowledge of the indoor game. While Miller’s name became synonymous with the Rhinos in the late 1990s, he also was starting to become one of the top scorers in the NPSL. He led the Buffalo Blizzard in scoring for a few seasons and even led the whole league one year (1998-99). I’m excited to see if Miller can write another chapter, this one with a “Rocky” comeback theme, to his soccer career here.

Another sight to see is Mauricio Salles, the 6-foot-3 Brazilian tower whose left foot has been said to be a lethal weapon in the preseason, blasting shots that make keepers shrink away from them. He is excited, he told me yesterday, for a fresh start in Rochester, where he got only 33 matches out of 60 for the Rhinos due to injuries in 2008-09. For the Lancers’ full roster, including more ex-Rhinos such as Rey “Boom Boom” Martinez and JP Reyes and current players goalie Neal Kitson and Andrew Hoxie, click here for the Lancers’ site.

I’ll be running down a lot of the MISL rules and such next week as we lead up to the home opener, but here’s a primer for you courtesy of the Baltimore Blast site. The Blast, by the way, are coached by Danny Kelly, who was on the Rhinos’ first team in 1996 and scored the first goal in franchise history.

LIVE RADIO/VIDEO: Tonight’s match can be heard on 93.3 FM in Rochester, with live audio on the web here, and every MISL match can be seen with live streaming video at www.MISLlive.com.

ON KICK THIS! We’ll have full coverage of tonight’s opener at 11 a.m. Saturday on Kick This!, our soccer show, including interviews with coaches Tanner and Lancers’ boss, Billy Andracki, who makes his pro coaching debut tonight. The Silver Knights, who play at the Onondaga County War Memorial/OnCenter (which coincidentally is where I saw my first ever rock concert in the late 1980s), and about 2,000 tickets already have been sold.

Jeff DiVeronica has covered professional soccer and the Rhinos for the Democrat and Chronicle since the team's inception in 1996. "Devo's Direct Kicks" takes aim mostly at Rochester soccer, but will also highlight the USL, MLS and U.S. national team play. Devo, his nickname since college at St. John Fisher, also hosts two weekly radio shows each Saturday on WHTK-AM/FM (1280/107.3 or www.whtk.com). "Kick This!" (11 a.m.) features soccer talk, while the Canandaigua National Bank High School Sports Show (noon) covers Section V sports. E-mail Jeff at jdiveron@DemocratandChronicle.com.
Or follow him on Twitter: @RocDevo